Although there are no official statistics on this subject, Romania is certainly one of the leading countries in medical tourism: discouraged by the almost unchanged state of the health system, many Romanians choose to be patients in a foreign country. Whether we are talking about preventive investigations, aesthetic interventions or complex and crucial treatments such as oncological ones, the option of a solution abroad is increasingly being accessed. Hospital offers have become more and more attractive, and medical insurances that also cover services in other countries have opened up the medical world for patients. Naturally, there were also stories of unpleasant experiences in foreign clinics, we all read about stomach reduction operations ended with complications, dental treatments ended with complaints, aesthetic interventions with regrettable results. The variant of a medical visit abroad can be life-saving and, at the same time, an extremely pleasant experience, provided that we carefully and carefully choose our destination and the team that will jump to our aid. Here are 5 things we recommend you consider before embarking on a medical trip.
What is the story of the hospital – reputation, cases solved, international accreditations, awards
As tempting as the offers of medical services discovered online may be, we never choose a hospital or clinic based on an advertisement alone, without trying to learn more about the place and the people to whom we will entrust our most valuable asset – health . We must always do thorough documentation and discover relevant things about the medical institution where we want to be treated: what is the reputation of that hospital? Is it considered one of the best in that country? Does it have internationally recognized merits? An extremely important aspect – is it accredited? Accreditation makes the difference between an obscure clinic where we will go with many risks and a respected, recognized and verified medical institution. Then, does it have an official representation in Romania? If so, can it be visited, does it provide helpful information, how can it support us? If we look hard enough, we are sure to find reliable sources that will help us form a correct opinion.
What technologies are available – does the hospital have state-of-the-art equipment and use it well?
Modern medical technologies are essential in a leading international hospital. In the end, they represent one of the reasons why we choose to leave the country and get treated elsewhere – in Romania, the latest generation equipment is more difficult to arrive, and even if it has arrived, Romanian doctors do not have the experience of foreigners in using it successfully . It is, therefore, important to find out what the premium technologies of the respective hospital are and how they can be of use to us in the diagnosis we have or suspect. State-of-the-art medical equipment in the hands of skilled and highly experienced doctors can make the difference in many cases.
What is the doctor's experience – how many cases like this has he successfully solved?
But what would cutting-edge technology be without a highly trained doctor to wield it? In hospitals abroad, we find overspecialized doctors – which means that each one chooses a branch of his basic specialty and devotes himself to it completely. He sees many patients affected by the diagnoses he is passionate about and becomes extremely good at this continued over-specialization. So when you want to go to a doctor abroad, make sure you find out what his experience is with cases like yours – how many other patients with similar stories has he had, what is his success rate? What training does he have, what international reputation?
What is the experience of foreign patients – what do they have to say about the medical team and everything they experienced there?
In these times when the Internet provides us with so much information with a single click, it is easy to discover the experiences lived by other patients in the hospitals we want to go to or with the doctors we want to choose. We have reviews, forums and testimonials provided by medical institutions themselves. There are also special discussion groups, it's all about wanting to learn as much as possible to make an informed decision. It is also important to know how many of the Romanian patients who choose abroad opted for that hospital – people will return and always recommend the place where they felt safe and really helped.
How is the patient service that – do they have translators, provide transfers, help with appointments, what happens after the visit there?
Being a foreign patient in a hospital in another country can be a stressful experience in itself. That is why the support offered by the hospital is important, through the representation in Romania and through the dedicated people on site, those who receive international patients in the clinic. Worries such as appointments, connections from the airport, accommodation near the hospital, translation during consultations, translated medical documents, keeping in touch with the medical team after the actual treatment, should not fall on the patient. Large hospitals with premium medical services have official offices in our country and their teams take care of all these organizational details and make the patient experience extremely smooth and safe.
For impeccable medical services, fast and correct diagnoses, innovative and effective treatments, technologies that are found in few other medical centers in the world and that radically change their chances of defeating the disease, Romanian patients most often choose ACIBADEM. Acibadem Hospitals Group is the most valued private healthcare provider in Turkey since 1991 and is part of a worldwide network International Healthcare Holdings, the second largest healthcare chain in the world. Acibadem operates 17 full-service general hospitals and 13 outpatient clinics. Acibadem provides comprehensive diagnostic and treatment services employing the highest caliber healthcare professionals, using cutting-edge medical technology and operating to accredited medical standards of excellence. Thousands of Romanians go to Acibadem hospitals in Istanbul every year, especially in the oncology, cardiology, fertility, sports medicine and transplant centers. Acibadem has 5 official offices in Romania – in Bucharest, Cluj, Constanța, Timișoara and Iasi – which support patients with absolutely everything necessary for a successful experience. Details on https://acibadem.com.ro and at the phone number 021 313 99 38.
